The raw vegan lifestyle in Ottawa Canada

Christmas with Meaning

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and if you’re like most people, you’re getting into the spirit of things: the advent calendar is up, the house decked out in festive lights and ornaments, and merry tunes can be heard in the background.

Christmas is the biggest, most widely-celebrated holiday around the world. It is the celebration of love, goodwill, kindness and peace. The holiday season is a time to come together with loved ones, and to share meaningful traditions in a peaceful environment.

Along with the holiday cheer also comes a whirlwind of aggressive marketing blitzes that expose us to thousands of advertisements each day, driving us to excessive shopping, heightened expectations, and often, materialistic attitudes. In fact, Christmas has become the most consumer-oriented, wasteful time of the year. Despite good intentions, it is a time of excessive consumption with pretty much everything: we over-eat, over-drink, over-buy, and over-spend! Think of the impact of each and every material item that you buy. Does the person really need it? What went into manufacturing the item – how much energy, water, petroleum products, packaging, shipping, etcetera, etcetera? If we made more conscious decisions about our consumer practices, and had a deeper understanding of the ecological and social impacts of our choices, wouldn’t our giving be more meaningful?

With so much emphasis on material products, rich holiday foods, gifts, parties, decorations, and drinks, it’s all too easy to get caught up with over-consuming. As a result, Christmas can become chaotic, overwhelming and stressful for many, and we often forget what the holiday season is all about – to take time out from of our busy lives, to focus on family traditions, and be thankful for the simple things that we have.

As a child, my most cherished Christmas memories were the moments spent in my mother’s cozy kitchen, sitting by the warm oven, with the scent of freshly baked Vanilla Kipferls wafting through the air. Year after year, my Austrian mother (now eighty-three) baked traditional vanilla crescent cookies which she would deliver to friends and neighbors in the glimmering evening snow – a tradition she continues to this day. Devoted to raising four children, my mother also made the time to sit down with us and make crafts and home-made greeting cards. For me, these simple moments capture the true essence of Christmas.

There’s nothing wrong with buying gifts for our loved ones, but how often have we bought people presents just for the sake of giving something without putting any thought into it? Rather than buy something from the box store, why not give the people on your list a gift with a special meaning, or something that can enrich their lives? A homemade tin of dehydrated cookies or raw truffles, or an album full of family photos would surely strike a warm fuzzy feeling for a loved one.

If you’re not crafty or don’t have time to bake, how about giving a “gift of experience” such as a massage, a yoga or rock-climbing class, dinner for two at a special restaurant, or a guided tour at the Museum or Gallery? You can also offer personal services such as baby-sitting for your sister, grocery-shopping for your grand-mother, or a season of snow shoveling for your husband. Or, why not give the gift of health and rejuvenation with a gift certificate for a day at the spa, an appointment with a naturopath, a sauna session, or SimplyRaw’s 28 day Detox Program?

Go on, do something different this year – surprise your loved ones with something more meaningful and feel good about the choices you’re making.